1. Field
The present disclosure relates to a system and a method for resolution conversion of Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) content in an image.
2. Description of Related Art
The architecture of continuous feed (CF) direct marking (DM) printing systems includes the use of multiple print heads (or marking stations) distributed into several color print head modules along the printing path. These multiple print heads are distributed over a long print zone to print the desired image. An exemplary continuous feed printing system may have as many as six color modules with four print units per color module incorporating fourteen print heads. Also, the continuous feed printing system prints on a band, a web or a roll of paper/media as compared to a sheet printing system which prints on discrete sheets of media.
Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) technology is generally well-known. MICR inks contain a magnetic pigment or a magnetic component in an amount sufficient to generate a magnetic signal strong enough to be readable via a MICR reader device. Generally, the ink is used to print all or a portion of a document, such as checks, bonds, security cards, etc. For example, most checks exhibit an identification code area, usually at the bottom of the check. The characters of this identification code are usually MICR encoded. The document may be printed with a combination of MICR-readable ink and non-MICR-readable ink, or with just MICR-readable ink. The document thus printed is then exposed to an appropriate source or field of magnetization, at which time the magnetic particles become aligned as they accept and retain a magnetic signal. The document can then be read by passing it through a reader device, which detects or “reads” the magnetic signal of the MICR imprinted characters.
In one MICR implementation for the continuous feed printing system, a set of aqueous ink print heads are added to an otherwise solid inkjet printing engine having solid inkjet print heads. The aqueous ink print head technology can be different from the solid inkjet print head technology. For example, the solid inkjet print heads may be clocked at a fixed frequency no matter how fast the web moves while the MICR print heads are clocked at a rate proportional to the web speed. In another example, the solid inkjet print heads may be manufactured with a different number of nozzles per inch than the MICR print heads. Due to these differences in the print head technologies involved, the aqueous ink print heads operate at a different resolution than that of the solid inkjet print heads. Additionally, for each unique web speed, images printed with the solid inkjet print heads change resolution but those printed with the aqueous ink print heads do not. The web speed, as used herein, refers to the speed at which a roll (or a web) of media (or paper) is being fed into a continuous feed printing system.
The problem, therefore, is to print an N-separation image, where one of the separations is the MICR separation, at all web speeds of the continuous feed printing system.